Goslin hopeful that Spirit will play at Comerica in Dec. 2013|

By Dan Chalk chalk@mdn.net

Published
6:30 am EDT, Saturday, November 3, 2012

Saginaw Spirit President Craig Goslin is disappointed that his hockey club won’t be able to play at Detroit’s Comerica Park as part of the annual National Hockey League Winter Classic on Dec. 29, but he’s hopeful that the Spirit will be taking part in a rescheduled Winter Classic that could take place in December 2013.

“It’s discouraging,” Goslin said Friday after the NHL earlier in the day announced the cancellation of this year’s Winter Classic due to the ongoing NHL lockout. “Our staff as well as the Olympia Entertainment staff had worked together to sell 21,000 seats (for the scheduled Ontario Hockey League doubleheader at Comerica Park).”

At the same time, Goslin is also encouraged by the number of tickets that had already been sold for the Dec. 29 game between the Spirit and the Windsor Spitfires, including a large number purchased by fans in Ontario. He said the capacity is about 37,000.

“It’s encouraging to know that we’ll have a good-sized crowd when we do play this game,” he said. “ ... We are hopeful, that once the NHL and the NHL (Players Association) resolve their labor concerns, that this announcement is simply a postponement and hope to play the OHL outdoor games at Comerica Park in the future.”

The NHL confirmed that the next Winter Classic will still include games played at Comerica Park as well as at the University of Michigan, and Goslin said he had received a verbal commitment from the Red Wings and Olympia Entertainment that the Spirit will be the host of the OHL doubleheader that will be part of the Winter Classic.

“Nothing is guaranteed yet. Right now there’s no tentative date (for the Winter Classic),” Goslin said.

Fans who ordered tickets for the Dec. 29 game can receive refunds through the outlet where they purchased them, whether it’s the Saginaw Spirit or a ticket website.

The Saginaw-Windsor game planned for the Winter Classic will now be played at Saginaw’s Dow Event Center on Dec. 29. Spirit season ticket holders will be given the first opportunity to purchase their regular seats for that game. Tickets for the general public will be the same price as for all other regular season home games.